Convertible freight-car



Patented July 5, I898.

M. F. WHITE.

CONVERTIBLE FREIGHT CAB.

(Application filed Jan. 6, 1898.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

a L me-4W? 7 REE-g 4 g v i .7 m unis-32W No. 606,698. Patented July 5,I898. M. F. WHITE.

CONVERTIBLE FREIGHT CAB.

(Application filed Jan. 6, 1898'.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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THG noRms PETERS ca. mmnumo wnmnsrcmnq No. 606,698. -Patenied July 5,I898.

, M. F. WHITE.

CONVERTIBLE FREIGHT CAR.

(Application filed Jan. 6, 1898.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

THE norms PETERS co mom-Luna" v/Asnmcrrou. n. c.

UNITE STATES,

PATENT MASON F. WHITE, or BLooMINe'roN, ILLINOIS.

CONVERTIBLE FREIG HT-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 606,698, dated July 5,1898. Application filed Ianuary 6, 1898. Serial No. 665,794. (No model.)

To all whom it ntayboncern: A

Be it known that I, MASON F. WHITE, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Bloomington, in the county of McLean I and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in aCombination-Car, of which the following is a specifica tion,referencebeing had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in railway rolling-stock, andparticularly to that class known as con vertible cars, the object of theinvention being to produce novel means whereby a single body may beemployed either closed as a coal-car or opened for the carrying of stockor by further change transferred into a fruit or vegetable carrier.

A further object of the invention is to pro-v duce a car in whichchanges for various uses may be accomplished in a ready manner, thusenabling any one to fit the parts in place to produce the desiredresult.

Furthermore, the object of the invention is to so construct and arrangethe parts'that strength, durability, and efficiency are assured, whileat the same time making them comparatively inexpensive to construct andsustain, since the parts are so arranged as to be readily removableshould it be necessary to renew worn or broken parts.

WVith the above and other objects in view the invention consists in thedetails of con struction,-a s well as in the arrangement and combinationof partsto be hereinafter more fully set forth andspecifically claimed.

In describing the invention-in detail reference will be had to theaccompanying drawings, forming partof this specification,wherein likecharacters of reference denote corresponding parts in the severalviews,in which Figure 1 is a view in perspective, showing thearrangement of parts as adapted for carrying stock. Fig. 2is a similarView when used for carrying coal and the like. Fig. 3 represents the cararranged for fruit and vegetables. Fig. 4 is a central longitudinalsectional view of the car, showing the suspension ofthe side and endscreens. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on a line with oneof the counterbalancing-weights. Fig. 6 is a detail view in perspectiveof one of the doors, looking from the interior. Fig.

7 is a transverse sectional view through one of'the doorways, showingthe inclined guideways. Fig. Sis a detail view of one of thescreen-frames 27. I v In carrying out my invention I provide a car frameconsisting of the longitudinal sills 1, end sills 2, corner uprights 3,end uprights 5, top beam 8, and roof 9, similar in all respectsj to andarranged in substantially the same manner as those parts correspondingthereto in an ordinary stock-car. At suitable intervals on the sides Iarrange the vertical uprights 4, which are made hollow for the purposehereinafter set forth. These uprights are braced by means of thediagonal beams 6, as well as by the horizontal beam Arranged on theinside of the car and secured to said vertical uprights at about midwaytheir height is a rail 7, extending entirely around said car, dividingthe sides and ends thereof centrally. The lower portion of the car isslatted, as indicated at 10, the slats being secured parallel with eachother to the inside of the uprights 4 and braces 6. The upper portion ofthe car on the sides when used for stock is closed by means ofmovableframes 11,which are formed of the vertical strips 13 and the horizontalslats 12 on the outer faces thereof, said slats being so disposed thatwhen it is desired to change the form from a stock to a coal car theywill fit in the spaces formed between the slats 10,.thereby producing asolid wall. Connected tothe tops of the frames 11 are cords or cables14, which extend up and over pulleys journaled in the top rail 8,through passages therein into the hollow uprights 4, where they areconnected to counterbalancing-weights 16, slidably fitted within saiduprights. In order that access may be had to the weights for the purposeof renewing the cable when worn or broken, I provide openings 17 nearthe bases of the uprights.

The ends of the car have their upper portions permanently closed bymeans of horizontal slats, the same as the lower portions, and thischange in structure necessarily causes the frames 18, corresponding t0frames 11 and similar in form and application thereto, to be hingedalong theirv upper edges to the rail 7, whereby it will be seen thatthese frames may be swung up or down, according to the use required ofthe car, and held in either position by any suitable means.

A number of rectangular frames 27, covcred with a screen of any desiredmaterial, are employed to close the upper portion of the sides when theframes 11 are secured in their lowered position and the car is to beused for carrying perishable goods where ventilation is required. Eachof these frames has formed or secured to the upper bar thereof a numberof eyes 28, which are engaged by hooks or staples 29, secured in thebeam 8, thus hinging said frames, so that they may be swung verticallyinto the position shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings and there held in anyconvenient manner, or they may be swung to a horizontal position, asshown in Figs. f and 5, and retained by the hooks 30, depending from theroof of the car.

The car is provided with guides along the side sill 1 and top beam 8,having flanges, which fit into the grooves formed in the top and bottomrails of the sliding doors 1.). Each of these doors, like the sides, isdivided centrally by the horizontal rail 7", the lower portion of thedoor being closed by a series of verticallyextending slats 20 and theupper portion by a removable frame 21, which fits snugly into a recessformed by the side, top, and horizontal rails of the door-frame and isretained therein by an ordinary turnlatch 22, as shown in Fig. 7. Theframes are arranged similarly to the frames 11 in that they have cordsor cables attached thereto, which are run over pulleys at the top of thedoors and connected to sliding weights 26 in the hollow side rails forthe purpose of counterbalancing the weight of the frame.

Thus it will be seen that when the car is to be used for carrying coal,vegetables, and the like the frame 21 is removed from the recess and isslid downward in suitable guideways 23, which are secured on the posts 2forming the sides of the doorway of the car, the upper portion beingthen closed by one of the screen-frames 27, before described.

Assuming that the car is arranged as shown in Fig. 1, wherein it isillustrated as adapted for use as a stock-car, and it is desired toconvert it into a fruit or vegetable car,the frames 11 are first droppeddownward and the slats thereof fitted in the spaces formed between theslats 10, and are there secured by means of a suitable bolt-andstaplefastener. The frames 18 are then swung downward and fastened. Next theremovable frames of the door are moved in place, as before described,and, lastly, the screen-frames 27 are swung down into vertical position,when the car will have the form shown in Fig. 3, where it is adaptedespecially as a vegetable-carrier, it having the advantages of beingperfectly tight against leakage, while at the same time it is open forthe purpose of ventilation.

From the foregoing description it is thought that the operation andadvantages of such a car as described will be apparent, together withthe fact that such minor details as the fastenings, manner of hingingthe screens,

and the exact shape and proportions of the various parts are meremechanical matters, which may be varied to a certain degree to suit theideas of the iminufaeturer, and yet the general spirit of the inventionwill not be departed from.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desiredto be seen red by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination with a car slatted horizon tally, a series ofvertically-movable slatted frames, the slats of which are adapted to fitbetween the slats of the car, weights in 1101- low posts of the ear, andcables attached to the weights and to the frames, as and for the purposedescribed.

9. A car having an intermediate horizontal rail between its top andbottom and having the lower portion of the car slatted horizontally, incombination with a series of vertically-movable slatted frames, theslats of which are adapted to fit between the fixed slats at the lowerportion of the car, the said frames being suspended upon cables passingover pulleys and having weights attached thereto, the said weightstraveling up and down in hollow uprights forming a portion of the frameof the car-body, substantially as described.

3. In a combination-car, a car-body provided with a horizontal railintermediate the top and bottom thereof and having the lower portion ofthe car beneath said intermediate rail slatted horizontally and theupper portion thereof above the intermediate rail open, in combinationwith a series of vertically-movable slatted frames, the slats of whichare adapted to fit between the stationary slats of the car-body, meansfor elevating and suspending said slatted frames, and screenframesforming auxiliary closing means for the upper .portions of the carsides, substantially as described.

4:. The combination with a car-body provided with horizontal railsintermediate its top and bottom and having the space above said railsleft open, of a series of screen-frames pivotally hung from a pointabove said opening, the said frames being adapted to cover the openingsand be swung upward against the roof or top of the car, and means forholding said frames in their folded positions, suly stantially asdescribed.

5. In a car, the combination with the cardoor having a recessed upperportion, of a vertically-slatted frame removably fitted in said upperportion of the door, and fixed inclined ways secured to the inneradjacent surfaces of the door-posts for the purpose of receiving saidslatted frame, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MASON F. WHITE.

Witnesses:

GARDNER W. PowELL, W. P. GAPEN.

IOU

